‘Doesn’t Make Sense’: Trump Adviser Navarro Says India Should Side With US, Not Russia

Last Updated:September 02, 2025, 08:56 IST

Calling on India to “come around,” Navarro argued that Modi must join the US and Europe in backing Ukraine.

White House trade advisor Peter Navarro (Image: Reuters)

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has urged India to align more closely with the United States and warned against deepening ties with Russia and China amid the ongoing Ukraine war.

Calling on India to “come around," Navarro argued that Modi must join the US and Europe in backing Ukraine. “He needs to be with us in Europe and Ukraine and not with Russia on this, and he needs to stop buying the oil," he said.

“The road to peace in many ways runs at least partly through New Delhi. It’s time for Modi to step up. I have great respect for Modi. I love the Indian people," Navarro said, stressing India’s influence in shaping the global response to the conflict.

Navarro also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling it a contradiction for the leader of the world’s largest democracy.

“It was a shame to see Modi getting in bed with the two biggest authoritarian dictators in the world in Putin and Xi Jinping. That doesn’t make any sense," he remarked.

Pointing to India’s long and often hostile history with China, Navarro questioned New Delhi’s strategy, saying, “I’m not sure what PM Modi is thinking, particularly since India has been in a cold war and sometimes a hot war with China for decades."

Navarro’s comments come at a time of growing strain between Washington and New Delhi, following the imposition of 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, including a 25 per cent penalty linked to purchases of Russian oil.

At the SCO Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the importance of regional integration, urging members to strengthen trade links. “India has always believed that strong connectivity not only boosts trade but also opens doors to growth and trust," Modi said in his address.

Russian President Vladimir Putin underscored the strategic role of the bloc, arguing that SCO dialogue was laying the groundwork for a new Eurasian security framework. “The SCO is steadily increasing its influence in addressing international issues. currencies are being used more widely in mutual settlements for trade among SCO countries. The pace of development of cooperation within the SCO is impressive," Putin said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, meanwhile, called on the SCO to act as a bulwark for fairness and justice as he addressed the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State.

News world ‘Road To Peace Runs Through New Delhi’: Peter Navarro Urges India To Back US Over Russia, China

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